March 2018 ProcedureFlow Confidential © 2018

Mapping Best Practices

ProcedureFlow - Best Practices Manual and FAQs

Welcome to ProcedureFlow! We’re sure you have a ton of questions, so here’s a cheat sheet outlining some

tips and tricks, and our best practices for mapping to help you get started.

Note: If you’ve never seen ProcedureFlow before, we strongly encourage you to watch the first four (4) of our

training webinar series at procedureflow.com/webinars before you get started! And if you are going to be

mapping, we would also encourage you to review all the knowledge base articles under the “Mapper” role on

help.procedureflow.com.

1) How do I access ProcedureFlow?

ProcedureFlow is a web application, which means you can access it from any computer with an internet

connection. To connect, open IE, Google Chrome or FireFox on your desktop, and go to

app.procedureflow.com, login using your work email address and the password you chose when you

set up your ProcedureFlow account. We also recommend adding ProcedureFlow to your bookmarks

or favorites list and saving your credentials, so you don’t have to enter them every time!

Tip: If you can’t remember your password, you can use the “Forgot your password?” link on the

app.procedureflow.com landing page to reset it.

2) What do all of these shapes mean?

Each shape in ProcedureFlow has a distinct meaning. It’s important to know what each shape means

in order to have a full understanding of the process flows.

The Action shape represents a direct action that must be taken (i.e. clicking a link, asking a

question, advising a customer). The Action box is also used to set up the home page as “big

buckets” to group related flows together, so users can easily find what they are looking for.

The Decision Diamond represents a choice and a “fork in the road.” Depending on the answer,

you will follow a path and different set of steps.

The Data Parallelogram represents information either you should gather or information you

should remember. So write it down or make a mental note of it, because you’ll need it later!

The Backstory shape provides additional information and context that will help the user

understand why they are doing something. It can also be used within a flow, to provide an

example, tip or trick, or information that will help the user execute the process more easily.

The End Point represents the end of the process. You’ve satisfied the customer’s inquiry. Usually,

we link this to a “Close Call” or “End Call” flow with instructions on any final steps

that need to be completed (i.e. making notes customer’s account or ticket).

The Critical shape represents information that if missed, could have a massive impact on the

business or its customers. This should be built directly into the flows at the appropriate point

in the process so there is no chance it could be missed by the user.

3) Can I change the shapes or the colors?

To maintain ProcedureFlow’s simplicity and keep it user friendly and easy to use – something all our

customers love - you are not able to change the shapes or colors. This allows users to direct their focus

and brain power to where it really matters, the substantive content of the flows, instead of using it to

decide which one of thousands of shapes or colors to use. Don’t worry! We haven’t found a process

yet that can’t be mapped using only these seven (7) shapes!

4) I often use a particular page – is there a way I can quickly come back to it?

There is! ProcedureFlow provides you the ability to build a customized list of Starred flows on the left

side of your screen. By clicking the star to the left of a subflow’s title, you can add the subflow to your

Starred list (aka. your favorites list) and quickly jump directly to your frequently used flows.

5) I just want to jump to a page I’ve been to before, but I don’t have it starred.

Not a problem! In the upper right-hand corner of your screen, there is a Search Flows … field. By clicking

in this search bar, you can quickly do a keyword search for the title of any flow. Select the flow from the

list of search results to navigate directly to it.

6) Is there a quick way to get back to the “home” flow at the top?

Yes! Simply click the grey entry point combo box selector / home icon button in the top left (under the

ProcedureFlow logo), or click View Flows at the top the screen to quickly return to the home page.

7) What does “Go back and continue” on an action box mean?

When you see a “Go back and continue” action box, it means that the process will continue back on

the previous flow. You’ll need to click on your browser’s back button or arrow to go back to the previous

flow and the yellow back glow will show you where to continue from.

8) I’ve found something wrong/broken/out of date!

This can and should happen! ProcedureFlow is a living breathing document, and it should always be

updating and evolving. If you find a problem, you have two options. You can let your supervisor or

team lead know, or if you’re feeling confident, you can fix the mistake yourself!

By moving the toggle on the top left of your screen from Live to Your Draft, you will then be able to

click the Edit button in the top right of your screen. This will bring you into a mapping “view” or editing

canvas, where you can edit your own version of the flows and send it for approval. If you do, an

approver will review the changes you’ve suggested, and approve, deny, or request further changes.

Don’t worry! Until the change is approved, you’re not changing anything in the live environment that

the rest of the team is using. So feel free to get in there and try it out!

9) I’ve been asked to map a process and am not sure where to start!

The thought of mapping your first process can be daunting! How do I even start? How much detail do

I need? We say start at the top!

• Step 1: Most processes can be broken down into 10-12 very high-level steps (or less!). Begin

by building your main flow using only these high-level steps and finish with your first end point.

Add your backstory in the top right corner that provides additional information on what this

process is about, why’s it’s important, how it ties into other processes, what the expected

outcomes are, etc.

• Step 2: Take your first step on your main flow and make it into a subflow. Now navigate to

your newly made subflow and repeat the process, beginning with the high-level steps needed

to complete the first task.

• Step 3: Continue to repeat this process over and over for every step of the process, creating

layers upon layers of subflows with each one containing more and more detail, until you’ve

completed mapping all steps of the process.

How much detail do I need? It really depends on the purpose for which the flows will be used and who

will be using them. Flows that will be used to train and support new employees will need to include

detailed step-by-step work instructions that will allow them to correctly execute the process with little

to no mentoring or questions. Flows used by more senior team members who already have a high

level of technical expertise will contain much less detail. Put yourself into the shoes of whomever will

be using the flows to best determine what level of detail will be required.

What about “blue moon” exceptions? There will always be “one off’s” or “edge cases” that the flows

won’t catch, or “blue moon” exceptions that only occur once in a while. Don’t waste time trying to map

all of these out! Put in an action shape that says “This is weird. See a supervisor!” and move on. If it

starts happening more and more, you can always come back and map it out at a later date.

10) How do I know when to create subflows? And what should I name them?

Keep flows small! The heart of ProcedureFlow is all about small hyperlinked flowcharts. When a flow

gets too large, users have a lot to scroll through and can easily get lost, which increases the amount of

time it takes to find the information they are looking for. The goal is to keep all your flows neat, clean

and easy to read.

If you are mapping and come to a step in the process that you already know will be a subflow with lots

of additional steps and detail, create a subflow then as a “placeholder.” You can dive in and start to

map the new subflow right away, or come back to it later.

If you are mapping and have a flow that has grown to more than 15-20 shapes, you should go back to

see what can be combined into a new subflow and pushed down to the next level, using the “Move

into New Flow” feature.

When creating new subflows, it’s important to pay attention to what you are naming them.

ProcedureFlow only allows users to search for subflows using a keyword search on subflow titles. So

when deciding what to name a subflow, include keywords in the title that would likely and logically be

used if a user was searching for that subflow.

11) What’s the best way to include exceptions to the process?

Trying to figure out how and where to fit exceptions into the process can be difficult. One of the biggest

mistakes in documenting procedures is using bullet points to list exceptions to the process

outside of the flow, where they easily could be missed. All steps of the process should be included

within the flow itself to avoid mistakes.

12) When should I use pop-ups?

You can add a pop-up to a shape by selecting the Pop-Up tab in the Add Shape dialog box. Once

added to the flow, the shape will appear with the pop-up icon in the top right corner. Users can then

click on the shape to view the text in the pop-up.

Pop-ups should be used for examples or general

information only! Do NOT hide important

information in pop-ups that should be mapped

directly into the flow itself, as it could possibly be

missed by users.

Also, do not include a whole “wall of text” within a pop-up, as it becomes very difficult for a user to

read. If you would like to include a lot of general information within a pop-up, create a new subflow to

hold the information and use the pop-up to hyperlink to that subflow. This allows the user to still have

the information at their fingertips without having to read through a large amount of text tucked within

a small popup window.

Note: Pop-ups are only able to hold text. You cannot attach an image within a pop-up!

Don’t do this!

13) Can I add screenshots to my flows?

Of course, but we encourage users to do so sparingly! If we wanted to map out how to create a new

entry point in ProcedureFlow, we could take a screenshot of each step, which would take up a lot of

space, would require lots of extra time to map, and would be hard to maintain. Anytime there was a

change, we’d have to take and upload a brand new image.

Instead, we would map out the steps in ProcedureFlow like

this, which takes up much less space, is easier to read and is

easy to maintain! Give your users credit .... they’re smart and

they’ll figure it out without the screenshots! If you think they

still may need help, you can always add the location of what

they are looking for in brackets, like (bottom left).

Having said that, adding in images and screenshots can be

helpful to assist users if the system is especially complex or

the interface is difficult to work with. If you do include a

screenshot, make sure you connect the screenshot – using a

dashed arrow – to the action box that it refers to. This is

important so that the user knows exactly which screenshot

goes with which action box and doesn’t get confused.

Note: Images must be saved on your hard drive in order to add them to your flows. You cannot copy

and paste them in from a different location. Create a folder on your desktop called “Mapping Images”

and save all your screenshots to that folder. Then you can use the “Add image …” feature to upload

the image to ProcedureFlow. If you need to resize your image to fit within the flows, hold down the

`Shift` button as you do so to maintain the aspect ratios of the image.

14) How do I link to an external website or to another subflow?

ProcedureFlow allows you to hyperlink to external websites, documents on SharePoint, and also to

other subflows. For security reasons, it cannot link to documents stored on a shared drive.

To add a hyperlink, enter the text you want in the Add Shape

dialogue box and then select the words you want to link and

click the chain icon. If you are linking to a website or to a

SharePoint document, enter the URL address. If you want to

link to another flow, select the button beside Flow, enter the

flow’s title and select it from the list of search results. Click Insert

to finish adding the link.

In addition to being able to link to external websites and to SharePoint documents, being able to link

to other subflows is extremely helpful:

• It allows you to link to another flow using whatever

text you want, instead of being limited to using only

the flow’s exact title.

• We often create generic process flows, such as

Create Service Request or End Call, that will be used

again and again throughout the flows. When we also

need to provide specific information along with it, we

can hyperlink to the generic subflow using whatever

text we want, and include a bulleted list of the

information that needs to be included for the user’s

specific situation.

15) I’m mapping some of our system work. How do I represent the different types of data?

Mapping system work may seem complicated, but it’s actually some of the easiest processes to map.

• Bold screen text. Bold whatever text the user will be looking for on the screen. Eyes are drawn to

bold text and the user will be guided to the right button, field, or tab immediately. It makes it easier

for them to know what they are looking for.

• Change the font for keyboard inputs. Wrap keyboard inputs in backticks - the button under Escape

on your keyboard. This changes the font into one that is mono-spaced and “computer-y” (our

word!) and sets it apart from the rest of the text.

• Differentiate between hard and variable data. Variable data is data that will change every time the

process or procedure is executed (today’s date, customer’s address, account number, etc.).

Conversely, hard coded data will always remain the same. We differentiate between these two

types of data when mapping flows:

• Variable data gets wrapped in SQUARE BRACKETS: Date = [today’s date as mm/dd/yyyy]

• Hard data has NO BRACKETS: Date = January 1st, 2018

16) My flows look messy and are hard to follow. How do I keep my flows clean and easy to read?

When a flow looks messy, contains too many shapes or has too much text or detail, users have a

lot to work through and can easily get lost, which increases the amount of time it takes to find the

information they are looking for. The goal is to keep all your flows neat, clean and easy to read.

Following the conventions outlined below will help to keep your flows looking pristine!

i. Use the Spine. Build your flows so that the situation that occurs 80% of the time goes

straight down, with the 20% exceptions jetting out to the right. People scroll straight up

and down – don’t make them scroll to the right. It’s annoying!

ii. Use Subflows. Avoid information overload by giving users ONLY the information they need,

as they need it. Hiding the 20% exceptions and the detailed work instructions within

subflows will keep your flows clean and uncluttered. It also allows more senior users to skip

over subflows for tasks they already know how to do, while at the same time keeping

detailed work instructions available for newer users who need them.

iii. Use the Backstory. The backstory shape allows you to bring in lots of general information

about the flows, or even something that looks like a Word document you would see in a

traditional classroom. Combining the backstory with a subflow allows you to hide this

information so users only see it if they need to.

iv. Use Tables and Bulleted Lists. Making use of tables and bulleted lists allows you to bring

lots of information into your flows, but keep them looking clean and easy to navigate.

v. Be Concise. Don’t use more words than you have to! Text should be short, concise and to

the point. Full sentences are NOT required. i.e. Don’t write “Now click the Enter button

to go to next step.” Just put “Hit Enter”.

vi. Use Space Wisely.

a. Don’t put too much space between shapes - 2 or 3 “grid” lines is plenty! Unless

you’re labeling arrows, then feel free to give them a bit a more space so the text on

the arrows can be read easily.

b. Resize shapes so you only have one line of text whenever possible. For example,

don’t split long field names up over two lines. Keep the text together (and don’t

forget to BOLD it)!

vii. Use Titles. If a shape has a large amount of text, it can be hard to read. If you have text

that is going to be more than three lines, you can make it easier to read by adding a title,

aligning the text to the left, and widening the box.

.

i. Avoid Using Ambiguous Text: Ambiguous means "open to or having several possible

meanings or interpretations", uncertain, difficult to understand or lacking clarity. Using

ambiguous text within your flows is confusing to the user. If you’re using words like “if

applicable”, there needs to be a backstory box that clearly outlines when it IS applicable and

when it IS NOT. Without this information, users can’t make an informed decision on what

their next step should be.

ii. Use the Multiple Options “Grid”: When you are setting up a home page or landing page,

or there are multiple options to a question, the options should be presented in a grid

pattern to keep flows looking clean, organized and easy to read. Don’t try to put arrows in

– it will end up looking like a spider web!

iii. No Diagonal or Crossing Arrows: Not only does it make the flows look messy, it makes it

makes it very difficult for the user to read and to know where they need to go.

iv. Avoid Arrow Messes. Try to avoid using really long arrows if possible and “boxing in” the

next steps of the process. Instead, copy and paste the desired destination and continue

building the flow out to the right. If you’ve followed the spines convention, you can easily

build exceptions and additional processes out the right side of the flow.

v. No Orphan Shapes. Every flow should have a finish – an end point, a “Go back and

continue,” or an arrow that brings them back into the main flow. If you have an orphan

shape at the end of a flow, users won’t know where to go or what to do next.

17) I’m done mapping. How do I know if my flows are right?

If all members of your team follow (or will be following) the particular process or procedure that you’ve

been working on, it’s never a bad idea to have a validation session with both senior and junior members

of your team once you’ve finished mapping. These sessions are extremely helpful for several reasons:

Don’t do this!

• Senior members of the team may have found a more effective and efficient way to complete

certain tasks, or may have additional tips, tricks or shortcuts that could be added to the flows

so that all members of the team can benefit from them.

• More junior members will be able to quickly find any gaps or information that may be missing

in the flows, and point out areas that could use additional clarification(s) or explanation(s) from

a new employee perspective.

• These sessions also provide an opportunity for the team to reach a consensus on what the best

practice should be. Allowing all team members to participate in deciding what that is gets

everyone on the same page and using the same version of the process.

18) I’m done mapping. How do I submit my changes for approval?

Once you’ve finished making your changes, it’s easy to submit them for approval! Make sure to

save and close any flows that you’ve been working on. Then, click Review Your Changes, give your

change set a title, and click Submit for approval to send it to the Approver(s) for review.

After your draft has been reviewed by the Approver, you’ll receive a notification advising whether

your changes have been approved, declined or additional changes have been requested.

19) How do I pull my draft out of the Approvals queue?

ProcedureFlow only allows users to have one draft at a time. If you’ve submitted your draft for

approval, you can’t make any more changes to it until it’s been approved, declined or sent back

to you for revisions by the Approver. However, you can cancel your submission and pull your

draft out of the Approvals queue, so you can continue to work on it.

To do so, toggle from Live over to Your Draft and click Review Your Changes. If your draft hasn’t

yet been handled by the Approver, you’ll see that it’s still “Pending Approval.” Click the red Cancel

approval button.

This will pull your draft back from the Approvals queue and you’ll be able to continue working on

it. When you’re all finished, you can submit it for approval again.

20) How do I stay up-to-date on process changes?

One of the most valuable features of ProcedureFlow is the change notifications! Every time a

change or update is made to the process, all users receive a notification that there has been a

change to the process that they need to review.

When you see the Change History counter increase, click on Change History to see the list of new

change sets and click on the change set that you would like to review. You’ll see a complete list

of all the modifications, additions and deletions made within that change set on the left side of the

screen. You can then click on a flow title in the list to see a side-by-side comparison of the old

version and the new live version.

21) Where do I go for help?

If you have any other questions or concerns about the above or how to use ProcedureFlow, please

don’t hesitate to reach out to the ProcedureFlow helpline at 1 (888) 827-3918 or email us at

help@procedureflow.com.

If you want some more self-serve options, you can:

• search our knowledge base of help articles and training videos for Viewers and

Contributors at help.procedureflow.com, or

• watch our OnDemand training webinars at procedureflow.com/webinars.

22) I have feedback and/or a feature suggestion or request!

We love feedback from our users and encourage them to provide us feedback by reaching out to our

team directly, or by adding their feature suggestion or request to our Customer Feedback page at

procedureflow.uservoice.com. UserVoice allows our users to add their feature suggestions and requests

to the growing list of customer suggestions so our user community can vote on it.

Our Product Management and Development team reviews all UserVoice feedback and uses it to help

decide what to work on next!

Thank you for being an amazing customer! We want to make your first experience using ProcedureFlow

a success and are available to support you in any way we can - we want to make sure you’re comfortable

and getting the most out of this tool!